Archive for Year Inducted: 2010

Archive

This family had a huge impact on minor baseball in Rapid City. Dan was an organizer and often a coach to all four boys at one time or another. The family was presented special sports recognition awards from the Town of Rapid City when the family moved to Winnipeg in 1975.

After moving to Winnipeg, Jim played with the River East Junior team, John and Jerry with the Elmwood midgets and Rob with teams at Gateway and Transcona.

All four boys played with the Elmwood Giants Juniors. Jim and Jerry played on the 1978 Provincial and Prairie Region championship team. Both played on the Elmwood Juniors 1978-79 team that has previously been inducted in the MBHOF.

Rob played for the Elmwood midgets, juniors, and seniors. He played on back-to-back Canadian championship teams with the Manitoba Juvenile All-stars in 1981 and then with St. Boniface who won the Junior Canadian Championship in 1982. He helped Elmwood win the Provincial Junior Championship in 1984 and was named MJBL top pitcher and MVP. Rob went on to play successfully in the MSBL for a number of years.

Dan became heavily involved in umpiring in Winnipeg for about 15 years at many high levels and championships.

Roy Fortin was born August 12, 1949. He was a hard-hitting left-handed pitcher who played with Oak Point and Lundar area teams. He coached minor ball for many years and instilled a love for the game in his sons. Roy finished his playing career in Twilight baseball where he pitched Grosse Isle to a Manitoba Championship in 1990.

Troy Fortin was born February 24, 1975. He was a good defensive catcher who could hit – a nice combination. Troy played mostly in the Interlake area and has represented both Manitoba and Canada on several occasions. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, playing six years in their minor league system and then 3 years for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Troy proudly played for Canada at the Pan-Am Games in 1999, winning a bronze medal.

Blaine Fortin was born August 1, 1977. He played his minor baseball in the Interlake area. In 1994, he won the MJBL batting title and was named both the Baseball Manitoba and Baseball Canada Player of the Year. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1995, playing 3 years in their minor league system. In 1996, he was flown to the Sky Dome in Toronto to catch for Roger Clemens. Blaine has played in many Western Canadian and Canadian Championships and even represented Canada at the World Junior Baseball Championships in 1994.

The Deloraine Royals of the early 1980s were frequent champions of the South West League. On three occasions they also won what now would be called the Manitoba Senior AA Championship. They were runner-up once. During this span of six years they represented Manitoba in the Western Canadian championships four times, and at Vibank, Saskatchewan, in 1983 they won this event. The members of the Deloraine Royals were an integral part of their town and contributed to the community in a number of ways. In particular, many of them coached youth baseball and other minor sports.

Ron was inducted in the Player/Builder category. He spent 24 years playing first base and pitching for the Riverside Canucks. He was a nine-time MSBL all-star and playoff MVP in 1978. His pitching record during his years in the MSBL was 49-14. His team won the MSBL championship eight times during this career and the Manitoba championship five times. Ron helped Manitoba win silver medals at the Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland in 1976. He later managed the Wawanesa Brewers for 10 years, winning six league championships during his time in the Border West League and the South West League. He managed the South West all-stars to a senior AA crown in 2007. Ron also managed to umpire on occasion.

Ron Ramsey was inducted into the Player category. He played 17 years in the MSBL from 1970-86 for the Hamiota Red Sox, pitching a total of 862 innings. He was one of their top pitchers and a superb infielder. Ron was placed on the MSBL all-star team 10 times during his career. He won the top pitcher league award in 1970. He shares the MSBL record for walks received in one game (5 in 1977). Ron was recognized as a member of the All Time Senior League All Stars Second Team in the utility position. He was a member of eight teams that represented Manitoba in Western Canadian and National Championships during his career and won a silver medal with Team Manitoba in 1973. A humble man, Ron is an excellent role model for many young players.

Brock was inducted into the Player category. He started winning awards at a very young age. In 1961, he was a part of the Optimist International Maple Leafs team that won the Canadian Little League Championship where Brock was voted the top pitcher, top hitter (.516 batting average) and tournament MVP. Brock was a power-hitting outfielder with good speed and a strong arm. He represented Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in 1969 with the Transcona Atomics. He was picked up by the Brandon Cloverleafs in 1971, helping them win the Canadian Senior Championship. He also played on the Canada national team in Cuba in 1971 where he hit .317 for the tournament. Brock won many batting titles and played on various all-star teams throughout his career.

Hank was a power-hitting third basemen who played mostly for St. Boniface and Carman. He was known for his discerning eye at the plate and was always found among league leaders in home runs, RBI’s and batting average. Hank played two seasons in Australia, playing against teams from Korea, Japan and Canada’s national teams in exhibition matches. He coached at a variety of levels and has become an established umpire. He has previously been inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the St. Andrews Super Saints and Nicolett Inn senior basketball teams. Hank was one of the most colourful characters to play baseball in Manitoba, the sport he truly loves.

Maurice was inducted into the Builder category. His pleasant smile and dedicated spirit made him a joy to be around. He was greatly involved in baseball for over 40 years first in Dauphin and then in Winnipeg. Maurice was committed to Optimist Park in the St. James area for many years and oversaw upgrades to that facility of over 1.7 million dollars. He was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award from Manitoba Baseball in 1984 and 1999. In 1994, he was awarded an Umpire Award of Merit from Manitoba Baseball. He was inducted into the Baseball Manitoba Honour Society in 1995. Maurice received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 presented by the Lieutenant Governor Peter M. Luba. His selfless desire to help in any way he could left a special place in the memory of all who knew him.

Al Kinley was inducted into the Builder category. For 45 years, Al has been an advocate for baseball in the Province of Manitoba and his beloved Elmwood Giants. He is a highly successful coach, administrator and historian. Al has coached every age category from Little League to Senior teams and 20% of those teams have won provincial championships. In 1977, Al was instrumental in bringing the Elmwood Giants back to life and has helped raise funds that have allowed the Giants to make over $100,000 worth of improvements to their field. Al is a four-time Manager of the Year in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League. He is a member of the Baseball Manitoba Honour Society. in 2007, he was named Baseball Manitoba’s Volunteer of the Year.